Boycott of Oxford diner changes to rally on service dogs

OXFORD — Selectmen have weighed in on the controversy surrounding a local restaurant owner's refusal to serve a man who visited his establishment with a service dog in tow.

Selectman John G. Saad, the board's chairman, said in a written statement, "The town is disappointed to learn of a failure by one establishment to respect the needs of veterans by refusing access to a veteran accompanied by a service dog."

Mr. Saad also wrote that the town is grateful to all veterans.

Meanwhile, James Glaser, the U.S. Air Force veteran who uses his dog, Jack, to alert him before his post-traumatic stress disorder can become too much to handle, said he will accept the apology Russell Ireland issued during a television interview.

In fact, he's hoping Mr. Ireland will, on Saturday, attend what has morphed from a boycott of Big I's restaurant into an educational event for folks to learn about PTSD and the various types of service dogs that people use.

"I would love for him to be there. I would shake his hand," Mr. Glaser said.

Mr. Glaser said he filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice, and Town Manager Joseph M. Zeneski said he alerted the attorney general's office about the matter.

Locally, the town can do nothing aside from the inspections it performed to be sure Mr. Ireland was in compliance with the local permits he was issued.

"He has not violated the terms of any licenses or permits," Mr. Zeneski said.

The two men were at odds on Sunday, when Mr. Ireland, in a less than friendly way, asked Mr. Glaser to take the dog out of the restaurant. Mr. Glaser's post about the incident on Facebook went viral, but they're both facing similar problems now.

Each has received a barrage of communications, many of which included death threats that left them shaken.

Mr. Glaser, who in Facebook photos has a patchwork quilt of Air Force ribbons pinned to his chest, said some people have questioned his military service.

He said he enlisted in the Air Force right out of high school in 1990, following his father's footsteps. He said he did two tours in Iraq of six months each. During the first, he helped move troops in Operation Desert Fox, and during the second he provided air traffic control in Baghdad, with mortars exploding near the tower where he worked.

Of all his awards he is most proud of the commendation he got when he was helping to train allied troops. As a jump master, he was the last one out of the plane, parachuting into the water, when he noticed a parachute being dragged by a boat. He was able to rescue the man being dragged. The man needed CPR and medical treatment but survived the brush with death.

"I saved a life," he said, adding that knowing that makes him proud, and the response from the man was that he'd be welcome at his home anytime.

He is upset that anyone would question his service and he said he doesn't want the matter to become political. His Facebook page has some pictures that might be termed controversial. and, he said, he's not happy with the current administration or "Washington in general," but politics have nothing to do with his desire to educate about service dogs.

He and his wife, who have been staying in a motor home in Oxford while she was working in the area, will return home to Nevada soon. Mr. Glaser is hoping to leave behind some folks in the Bay State who have a better understanding of PTSD and who might be more welcoming to dogs like Jack that don't look like the stereotypical service dog.

On Saturday, anyone interested is welcome at Greenbrier Recreation Area, not far from the Big I's. Veterans groups will attend and provide information, Mr. Glaser will hand out pamphlets about the Americans with Disabilities Act, service dog organizations will be on hand and the names of veterans who have taken their own lives as a result of PTSD will be read.

Contact Kim Ring at kring@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @kimmring